[p.435] hour from the Djeylat passed the fine spring called El Szadeke
(Arabic), near which is a hill with extensive ruins of an ancient town
consisting of heaps of hewn stones. From thence we descended by a slight
declivity into the eastern plain, and reached the encampment, distant
one hour and a half from Szadeke. The same immense plain which we had
entered in coming from Beszeyra, on the eastern borders of the Ghoeyr,
here presented itself to our view. We were about six hours S. of Maan,
whose two hills, upon which the two divisions of the town are situated,
were distinctly visible. The Syrian Hadj route passes at about one hour
to the east of the encampment. About eight hours S. of Maan, a branch of
the Shera extends for three or four hours in an eastern direction across
the plain; it is a low hilly chain.
The mountains of Shera are considerably elevated above the level of the
Ghor, but they appear only as low hills, when seen from the eastern
plain, which is upon a much higher level than the Ghor. I have already
noticed the same peculiarity with regard to the upper plains of El Kerek
and the Belka: and it is observable also in the plain of Djolan
relatively to the level of the lake of Tiberias. The valley of the Ghor,
which has a rapid slope southward, from the lake of Tiberias to the Dead
sea, appears to continue descending from the southern extremity of the
latter as far as the Red sea, for the mountains on the E. of it appear
to increase in height the farther we proceed southward, while the upper
plain, apparently continues upon the same level. This plain terminates
to the S. near Akaba, on the Syrian Hadj route, by a steep rocky
descent, at the bottom of which begins the desert of Nedjed, covered,
for the greater part, with flints. The same descent, or cliff, continues
westward towards Akaba on the Egyptian Hadj road, where it joins the
Djebel Hesma (a prolongation of Shera),